תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

ed him, when he appeared ready to give Barrabas to be crucified, and release Jesus; and of Judas, when, unable to bear the convictions of his own mind, he went away and hung himself!

There are those, who while they would speak of the errors of Pontius, and of Judas, yet hail the death of Jesus, as the most glorious and auspicious event;-as the means which God has appointed to give salvation to man! Let me ask them, what would have been the result, if there had been, no wicked men to put him to death? If Pilet had really set him free? the answer would be like their belief, full of inconsistencies-that this could not have happened, because the means were appointed to the endA faith that so far takes away the free agency of man, as to make him the actor in blood and murder, because this is the fate that is decreed to him; is unworthy the consideration of a rational and intelligent mind. The simple truth is, that the death of Jesus has no more connexion with our salvation, except as his example is followed from internal conviction, and obedience to the Divine Principle, than the death of any other righteous man, or even than that of an unintelligent creature.

It was not the flesh and blood of Jesus that was the Saviour, but the power of God which

dwelt in him, which dwells in us: the one uni. versal spirit which is omnipresent and eternal; and which is the only proper rule for our lives; because it is the universal principle of salvation, the world over-this is truly our Saviour: because, it alone can save from sin, and is no more to be worshipped in Jesus Christ than in any other righteous and holy man.

Paul says, that "though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth, know we him no more."* And Jesus," it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you," They both saw, that the eyes of men were directed outward; and whenever it is so, Christ becomes a stumbling block and a rock of offence. There can be no full belief in the Divinity of Christ, that is founded on any outward thing; and as the mind comes to be introduced into the spiritual nature of the kingdom of Heaven, it knows Christ no more after the flesh; but in the power of an endless life; being united unto him as brethren of one common family: having and believing in the Father, we have also the Son, and believe in him; or in other words, in the power of God which dwelt in him; this was that power that made the world; by it † John xvi. 7.

* 2 Corinth. v. 16.

Jesus did all the mighty works which are recorded of him; and in a perfect union with it, knew that all power was given to him in heaven and in earth. There is no truth which applies to Jesus, but what applies to every other man in the same state of holiness that he was in; a state which appears to be adapted and designed for every child of Adam.

Many Christians pretend to wonder that the Jews do not believe in Jesus Christ as they do; as his coming was in accordance with prophecy; but they in reply, say that those prophecies refer no more to one person than another, and defy their opponents to show that they do. Yet still they continue to apply every thing to one particular person, whom they call second in the trinity. And it is only those, from whose eyes the veil is rent, that without any critical knowledge of the Bible, believe that the prophecies which are thought to apply to Jesus, apply to the principle rather than to the man; and that all that is said of Jesus Christ must be true to every one that lives in the power of the principle. For although there may be passages as, "I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John x. 9. I am the vine and ye are the branches:" yet all these things are spoken of that principle

E

which is the word "which was in the beginning with God, and which was God." As Jesus said upon another occasion, "the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life,"—" it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." And again, "The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the work." John xiv. 10. These passages must apply to the divine principle, for nothing else can save us from sin but the power of God, unless we become Polytheists and believe that there are more Gods than one.

Some contend that the Power and Form are not to be separated; if so, then has God been reviled, spit upon, buffetted, and finally crucified by sinful men; than which nothing can be more inconsistent with every rational feeling.

Many are the absurdities into which men are led, who look outward rather than inward, for the Divinity of Christ. None can ever fully know that Jesus was the son of God, but by knowing themselves to be such.

"All who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God." And it is alone in this power of sonship, that full perception of the Divinity of Christ can be had: this is no mystery, but consistent with the plainest doctrines of scrip

ture and the man who is as perfectly redeemed from the pollutions of humanity as Jesus Christ was, I believe to be as much and as truly, the son of God as ever he was.

It was the humanity of Christ that was tempted-it was that which suffered in the gardenit was that which prayed, "suffer this cup to pass from me," we every where trace the feelfngs of a man; and see throughout, a remarkable manifestation of that power which made him divine.

I meddle not with the account which we have of the birth and conception of Jesus. Whether it is true or not has no relation to us; and inasmuch as we rely upon it to prove his Divinity, we never can truly and effectually believe in it. The operations of nature in the production of animal life, are altogether incomprehensible ; and if men were usually born as it is said Jesus was; every other way would be considered equally extraordinary as that which is given of him. "With God all things are possible!"

There are different geneologies recorded of Jesus he is spoken of in more than one place in scripture, as the son of Joseph; and it is well known that many pious men believe that he was so. Suppose it could be proved that he really was; it would not in the smallest de

« הקודםהמשך »